Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani put a scare into baseball fans during the World Series after he sustained a shoulder injury in Game 2 and came out in Game 3 wearing an arm sling. However, it turns out it wasn't a traditional arm sling. 

Instead, it was an arm brace, which looks similar to the one designed and introduced by Kinetic Arm. 

The sighting of Ohtani's sling had some fans pointing out and mentioning the kinetic band, and Kinetic Arm founder Jason Colleran discussed the device in an exclusive interview. 

What exactly is Kinetic Arm? 

While technology has come a long way in sports, there has still been an uptick in arm injuries, especially in baseball.

“I had arm injuries from 11 to mid-20s, I did everything my coaches and trainers told me and it still broke down,” Colleran said. “I thought, ‘We have gloves and catcher's mitts to offload force, so why would we not offload the distraction force because we know exactly where the shoulder and the elbow break down?'”

“The arm injuries are still going up, they aren't going down,” Colleran continued. “Unless we start to offload stress externally that's never going to change.”

Colleran compared it to a mechanic. He can watch the car drive and guess, but unless he drives the car, he has no clear idea what is wrong with it. In the same way, that is how it works with arm and elbow injuries. 

“Coaches and biomechanics can tell you how things are moving or what's off, but if we aren't offloading dynamic arm stress, there's never going to be a difference,” Colleran stated. 

According to the official website, the Kinetic Arm delivers “multi-directional support to stabilize the elbow and shoulder during intense or repetitive arm movements in sports and other activities.” 

In turn, this provides support to “help stabilize joints when the arm reaches passive ranges where stress is the highest.” By doing so, this reduces stress and helps to aid injury prevention. 

It took four years of prototyping until the product was released, and it has grown a lot over the past few years all across the sports world. 

Was Shohei Ohtani wearing the Kinetic Arm? 

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) walks off the field after injuring his shoulder against the New York Yankees in the seventh inning for game two of the 2024 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium.
Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

As many fans noticed, Ohtani's “sling” right before Game 3 actually looked like a kinetic armband similar to this one. 

However, Colleran couldn't confirm whether or not Ohtani was wearing this Kinetic Arm sleeve due to Major League Baseball licensing protocols. 

“We don't know for sure but we know one was sent to him,” Colleran said regarding Ohtani.  “It has to be covered up by Major League Baseball players,” Colleran continued. “We have one team that has position players wearing it. There is a team out in California that wears them and they are covered.” 

“Ohtani's coach, Petie Montero, he uses one to throw batting practice, so we did get one out to him for when (Ohtani) starts his return to throw program.” 

Colleran also mentioned that some Japanese pitchers wore them while preparing for the World Baseball Classic in 2023. One Japanese star who wore the Kinetic Arm was Shota Imanaga, the current ace for the Chicago Cubs. 

“Using the Kinetic Arm allows you to maintain the correct take back the angle of the arm,” Imanaga said about the device. 

Colleran also said another “top MLB name” who had Tommy John uses the Kinetic Arm, and conversations have been had with multiple teams to get the product out to them.

“It's unfortunate the logo can't be seen without paying a licensing fee,” Colleran added. 

Hall of Famer Jim Kaat is one name to have endorsed the product publicly, as is former Cubs pitcher Kyle Farnsworth. 

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Colleran also said that Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford's body coach recommended this product to some athletes. He also noted that the Seattle Seahawks got one for quarterback Geno Smith, so it is making its way across other sports as well. 

Former tennis star and current ESPN analyst Luke Jensen is another athlete who spoke highly of the Kinetic Arm in October 2022: “I am such a huge fan… I put on the Kinetic Arm and I found out that everything had accelerated. I could have much better technique… Try the Kinetic Arm. You won't be disappointed.” 

Colleran also said the Hawaii Little League World Series team used the Kinetic Arm and wore it in a game on ESPN, and even volleyball players have begun to experiment with it. 

Tom Brady Tried to Invent a Similar Product 

Perhaps more stunning is that seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, who played 23 seasons in the NFL up until age 45, apparently tried previously to invent a product like the Kinetic Arm. 

Colleran mentioned that a previous one-time client revealed that Brady had attempted to create a similar product. 

“I was told Brady tried to come with a similar concept years ago out of scuba gear,” Colleran said, citing former NFL kicker and one-time client Shayne Graham, who shared the news with him. “Tom Brady tried to make something like this to reinforce his arm.”

Doctors and surgeons are on board with the Kinetic Arm

Orthopedic surgeons have been trying to come up with a solution like the Kinetic Arm for years. Now, those surgeons are the biggest part of the company's growth.

“The biggest part of our growth has been from physical therapists and orthopedic surgeons,” Colleran said. “We've had orthopedic surgeons reach out and say, ‘Hey, I think this is awesome, I tried to come up with this 10 or 15 years ago, but I didn't have the engineering component.'”

Numerous doctors have given testimonies regarding the Kinetic Arm, including Dr. Rick Lehman, who called it a “new frontier.” 

“Kinetic arm has been instrumental in my rehab protocol for Ulnar Collateral Ligament reconstructions. We have also had great success in unloading our pitchers.”

Now, the Kinetic Arm is growing globally, from the World Baseball Classic to MLB and even making its way to the NFL, all while youth sports are the focus of Colleran's vision. 

“We should be concerned about the youth arm injuries. It's about longevity and protecting athletes.”

Colleran also said “Pain does not have to be part of the process,” and the Kinetic Arm is a way to help minimize pain and allow athletes to play the game they love for a much longer period.

Currently, the Kinetic Arm has the K2 adult sleeve for $219.99 and the youth sleeve for $109.99.  The Kinetic Arm website also sells used gear for those on a budget as well as other products, including base layer shirts, t-shirts and sleeve extension straps. 

At the end of the day, the stories and testimonies from athletes both young and professional motivate Colleran and the company to keep developing new products.